User interface system and method for browsing a hypertext database
First Claim
1. A method for a user of a computer system to traverse a hypertext database to retrieve an electronic document stored in the hypertext database, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) storing in the hypertext database a plurality of hypertext nodes, each of the hypertext nodes corresponding to an electronic document, wherein each of the hypertext nodes may be selectively linked to another of said hypertext nodes;
(B) storing an index in association with the hypertext database, the index comprising a plurality of descriptive index terms, in which each of the descriptive index terms is assigned to one of the electronic documents;
(C) receiving a weighted relevancy ranking of each descriptive index term;
(D) receiving a set of relevant index term values;
(E) comparing the set of relevant index term values with sets of the descriptive index terms using the weighted relevancy ranking and the set of relevant index term values;
(F) producing a list of electronic documents based on the comparing step (E), in which the list is ranked in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the user based on the weighted relevancy ranking and in which each document in the list contains at least one of the relevant index term values.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for traversing a hypertext system is provided. A set of descriptive document index terms is provided for documents in the database. Means are provided for the user to specify both the set of relevant index term values and the weighted relative ranking of the set of index terms. Means are provided for comparing the set of index terms specified by the user with sets of document index terms. The comparisons result in a ranked list of the selectively linked electronic documents. In one aspect, the electronic documents are ranked in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the user. In another aspect, each electronic document in that database is indirectly linked with the user'"'"'s present position through intermediate, dynamically generated tree links. The intermediate tree links are generated in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the user and the efficiency of each index term to differentiate between relevant documents.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for a user of a computer system to traverse a hypertext database to retrieve an electronic document stored in the hypertext database, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) storing in the hypertext database a plurality of hypertext nodes, each of the hypertext nodes corresponding to an electronic document, wherein each of the hypertext nodes may be selectively linked to another of said hypertext nodes; (B) storing an index in association with the hypertext database, the index comprising a plurality of descriptive index terms, in which each of the descriptive index terms is assigned to one of the electronic documents; (C) receiving a weighted relevancy ranking of each descriptive index term; (D) receiving a set of relevant index term values; (E) comparing the set of relevant index term values with sets of the descriptive index terms using the weighted relevancy ranking and the set of relevant index term values; (F) producing a list of electronic documents based on the comparing step (E), in which the list is ranked in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the user based on the weighted relevancy ranking and in which each document in the list contains at least one of the relevant index term values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for a user of a computer system to traverse a hypertext database to retrieve an electronic document stored in the hypertext database, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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(A) storing in the hypertext database a plurality of hypertext nodes, each of the hypertext nodes corresponding to an electronic document, wherein each of the hypertext nodes may be selectively linked to another of said hypertext nodes; (B) storing an index in association with the hypertext database, the index comprising a plurality of descriptive index terms, in which each of the descriptive index terms is assigned to one of the electronic documents; (C) receiving a weighted relevancy ranking of each descriptive index term; (D) receiving a set of relevant index term values; (E) comparing the set of relevant index term values with sets of the descriptive index terms using the weighted relevancy ranking and the set of relevant index term values; (F) producing a list of electronic documents based on the comparing step (E), in which the list is ranked in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the user based on the weighted relevancy ranking and in which each document in the list contains at least one of the relevant index term values. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification